Ken Holland's new gig, goaltending pipeline, the waiver wire and more

Former Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland recently resurfaced with a new gig months after helping guide the Edmonton Oilers to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. Holland was on-site for Red Wings legend Pavel Datsyuk's Hall of Fame ceremony in Toronto this past weekend.

On Tuesday, Colin Campbell, NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations, said that Ken Holland had been hired as a consultant to the NHL's hockey operations department.

"We are delighted to welcome Ken to NHL Hockey Operations, where he will provide invaluable insight from his decades in the game as a player, scout, and executive," Campbell said. "He offers unmatched expertise in a wide range of areas."

Holland was a part of the Red Wings organization for 22 years, serving as the general manager for their last three Stanley Cup Championships before giving way to Steve Yzerman. Holland is in the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder category.

The Red Wings goaltending pipeline looks extremely strong

Sebastian Cossa, 21, was drafted 15th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry level Draft, is the Red Wings top goaltending prospect, and is the closest to making an impact at the NHL level. He's played in nine games this season, with the Grand Rapids Griffins posting video-game-like numbers. He's 5-3-1 with a stellar 1.98 goals-against average to pair with a remarkable 0.936 save percentage.

It appears as though Cossa is primed to be a regular in Detroit next season. Both Ville Husso and Alex Lyon are in the final year of their current contracts leaving veteran Cam Talbot who is off to a great start with the Red Wings the perfect mentor to help bring a rookie netminder along at the NHL level. I wouldn't rule out a reunion with Lyon either, as Yzerman has shown he's comfortable carrying three goaltenders on the active roster.

Detroit's second-best goaltending prospect (as of today) is no slouch. Trey Augustine, 19, a South Lyon, Michigan native, was drafted 41st overall in the second round of the 2023 NHL Entry Level Draft and was Team USA's starting goaltender for last year's World Junior tournament. The Michigan State product is off to another great start with the Spartans this season as his 6-1-0 record, backed by 1.57 goals against average and 0.941 save percentage, dictates. Last year, Augustine guided the Spartans to a 23-9-2 record with a 2.96 goals-against average and 0.915 save percentage.

The future is bright when it comes to defending the cage. Detroit's last homegrown netminder of anything to write home about was Jimmy Howard, and before that, you need to go back to Chris Osgood.

The waiver wire is full of former Red Wings

Well, two. Recently, the Chicago Blackhawks placed former Red Wings forward Andreas Athanasiou on waivers. The former 30-goal scorer with Detroit has struggled with consistency since leaving the Red Wings. We all know the speedy center was a defensive liability, but when you score 30 goals, you can live with some of the negative traits.

Athanasiou played 28 games last season with Chicago and scored two goals and nine points. This season, he hasn't recorded a point in five games before being placed on waivers. Athanasiou and his $4.25 million cap hit went unclaimed, and ironically, his first AHL game was in Grand Rapids against the Griffins on Wednesday.

Former Detroit Red Wings goaltender James Reimer was also placed on waivers by the Anaheim Ducks. Unlike Athanasiou, the veteran netminder did not clear waivers. Reimer, 36, was claimed by the Buffalo Sabres.

Reimer started two games with the Ducks this season, going 0-2-0 with a 4.50 goals against average and 0.864 save percentage backing up Lukas Dostal. Dostal is 4-5-2 this season with a 0.922 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average for the rebuilding Ducks. Veteran netminder John Gibson began the season injured, which prompted the Ducks to sign Reimer to a one-year deal worth just $1 million.